An Imperfect World
by xxxMishaxxx
Summary: "You can't run anymore. Put your weapon down and we can talk." The boy looked at him then, and he was shocked by his eyes. Molten gold. But there was also fear, and trepidation, in them. "Come on kid, we don't want to hurt you!" called JJ. "I'm not a kid!" Edward Elric is lost in a world he doesn't understand, and the agents of the BAU have found someone they don't. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

_"The world isn't perfect. But it's there for us, doing the best it can. And that's what makes it so damn beautiful."  
- Roy Mustang_

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**AN IMPERFECT WORLD**

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**Chapter 1**

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Edward Elric lay still on the ground, barely awake. His eyes remained closed, but he could start to hear noises coming from around him. There were the soundsof footsteps, running, and then human voices. Raised, careful, _dangerous._ In a second his eyes snapped open, his whole body on alert. He jumped to his feet, and reached for the nearest shelter. As he did so, he surveyed his surroundings. Years of training and military had at least honed his senses enough to notice, even in the dark, that he was in a warehouse of some sort. It was supposedly abandoned, but well, not right now. He found himself wondering where he was, trying to remember what he did last, and came up blank. If Al had something to say about this-

_Al. _

Where was Al? What had happened? Did he have amnesia? He didn't remember hitting his head…

He was brought back to the present by the door blasting open.

"FBI!"

He neither knew nor cared what that meant. He shuffled closer to the wall behind the crate where he was hiding, certain he was not visible. He watched as the four-no, five- people entered the huge room, torch lights in hand, guns pointed ahead. He could tell they were trained- military, perhaps? Though they wore no uniform as far as he could make out, only their jackets seemed similar.

"We've got another victim here!" one of them called out, voice female.

He saw the others converge around the one who had called, who was kneeling next to- _oh gods_ – a woman lying in a massive pool of blood, eyes staring lifelessly up ahead. Her clothes were thrown a little distance away, and around the body was a bloody circle. Ed hadn't noticed all this before in the dark, but now that he had, he had the sudden urge to throw up.

He scooted further inwards, dislodging a small crate as he did so. It fell to the ground with a resounding crash, and suddenly he could feel five pairs of eyes upon him. And what was worse, five guns pointed towards him too.

His first urge was to run.

So he did.

Jumping above and behind the crates, he moved faster than they could fire. He could feel them chase him as he ran towards the back, noticing the door there. It was locked, but only took him a split second to clap his hands and open the lock. His pursuers seemed to not have noticed, seeing as they were lagging behind…

He ran straight down the road, not knowing where to go. He did not remember ever seeing this part of town. _Am I even in Central? _

He heard a sound to his left and stopped short. His pursuers seemed to have sent reinforcements. There were more people now, uniformed, armed. He made a dash towards the nearest alley and prepared for the worst.

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SSA Aaron Hotchner had not expected this. There wasn't supposed to be a young boy at the crime scene. But there was, and he was _running._

He could see he was fast. That's why he asked Rossi to bring the police team to the other side, to trap him in. So as he turned the corner, Hotch saw a flash of gold turn into the dingy alley. He called his agents to him, and went forward.

He could see they'd cornered him. Even if he could've jumped over the tall fence – and Hotch didn't think he could – they'd been far too quick. He had so many guns pointed at him that he'd be impossible to miss at this close a range.

But instead of surrendering, the boy seemed to have wielded a weapon- a blade of sorts- in his right hand. He could see what everyone was thinking. It was apparent in their eyes. _This could all go downhill very quickly._

So instead of threatening him, he tried to reason with him. After all, he was a lawyer and a negotiator.

"You can't run anymore. Put your weapon down and we can talk."

The boy looked at him then, and he was shocked by his eyes. Molten gold.

But there was also fear, and trepidation, in them.

"Come on kid, we don't want to hurt you!" called JJ.

"I'm not a kid!"

He seemed surprised that he'd spoken, and Hotch saw his golden eyes go wide. But maybe there was something about JJ that he listened to her, more than he'd listened to Hotch, anyway. He looked down and sighed.

"Okay, I'm just putting down my weapon," he called to us, and then added, "don't shoot me!"

And without warning, he joined his hands, and a flash of light engulfed them. When it faded, Hotch half-expected the kid to be gone, but there he was, weapon-less, looking rather resigned and worn out.

"So... you wanted to talk, huh?"

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**A/N** : So that's the start! I think I ran out of FMA stories to read so had to make my own. Anyway. I hope this will be over by the end of the week. Because I have exams in two weeks. And should be studying. So next update will be very soon. If someone reads it, that it :3

Reviews are love ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : Not even 24 hours and an update? ;D I'm trying to be fast! A huge THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed! And favourited/followed! I'm sure this one's is a bit cliched but well, it sets the ball rolling and the next chapter will be a bit better...I hope! :3

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**Chapter 2**

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Edward knew he was not in Central anymore. Hell, he wasn't even sure he was in Amestris. These people,_ agents_, took him to their car, which was faster and overall more advanced than any car he'd ever seen in his country. On some level he knew he should be wary, being alone with so many strangers, and armed ones too, but he also knew he had nowhere to go. He might as well start looking for answers here. Besides, that woman, agent- the blonde- had reminded him of Hawkeye, just a tiny bit, but nonetheless, seemed trustworthy.

At least, they weren't rushing to kill him.

And so he'd agreed to go with them to their headquarters, their base, to be questioned. Drilled. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen all this in the military back home. _Home._ His heart felt a pang at that, but he brushed it off. No time to be vulnerable in a car full of- _policemen_.

As the car was about to start, someone else came and sat in the front. Through the bars separating him from the front seat, he could make out that this newcomer was one of the _agents_ from before.

Ed looked him over and decided he wasn't much of an immediate threat. Then again, it wasn't wise to be dismissive of someone you don't even know. So he decided to get to know them.

"Who are you?"

The agent seemed surprised to be addressed by him. But he didn't let the surprise show too much and quickly caught himself.

"The question is, who are you?"

Ed smirked. This was going to be a long ride.

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SSA Dr. Spencer Reid was not one to be surprised easily. But when the boy started talking to him, he couldn't help be a bit wary. He _was_ found in a very suspicious crime scene, after all. So instead of answering him, he posed him a question himself. The boy actually smirked at him.

"Edward Elric."

"SSA Dr. Spencer Reid."

Reid could tell the boy had a hard time taking in all his titles. But then he seemed rather amused.

"You're quite young to be a doctor."

"So I've heard."

_Edward _was quiet after that, and the rest of the trip passed by uneventfully.

They reached the River Heights Police Station soon after that, a small little building in this small town. The string of murders was the most exciting thing to have happened here in decades. Of course, it was also the most horrible thing to have happened here in decades.

Reid looked over at the building, wondering if they were going to leave this town soon. But that would only happen once they'd caught this Unsub. What they had caught instead was the boy here. _Why was he there anyway..?_

The rest of the BAU and the local police soon arrived, and escorted the boy- Edward – further inside. Reid hung back with his team, and filled them in on his brief conversation in the car.

"So he told you his name?" Morgan asked him, surprised. "I pegged the boy to be a stubborn kid."

"I thought so too, but he listened to us in the alley easily enough," Prentiss said.

"I'll have Garcia look him up. If it's his real name, we'll find him soon enough," said Hotch. "Meanwhile, let's find out what he was doing there in the first place. Reid, I want you in the interview room with JJ and myself."

"He really doesn't fit the profile of the Unsub, does he?" Rossi observed.

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Edward looked up when he heard the door open. His left hand was cuffed to the table and he had been sitting there for about an hour now. He wasn't surprised to see the tall black-haired man, the one who'd originally spoken to him in the alley. _So he's their leader, is he?_

Shortly behind him was the tall, lanky man from the car. And closing the door behind them was the blonde agent from the alley. _So that's how you're playing it, huh?_

They took a seat in front of him and he waited for it to begin soon. He wasn't disappointed.

"Hello. I'm SSA Aaron Hotchner. These are SSA's Jennifer Jareau and Dr. Spencer Reid. We're from the FBI. And you are?"

"My name is Edward Elric," he replied, and then added, "as I'm sure the doctor here has told you."

Agent Hotchner did not miss a beat.

"Yes, but _you_ hadn't. Anyway, I'm sure you understand why you're here?"

Ed made a non-committal noise to show them he didn't.

The blonde - agent Jareau - spoke up, "Edward, you were found in an abandoned warehouse, which also happened to be a crime scene where a woman was found killed. What were you doing there?"

Ed visibly paled when he remembered the dead woman, her lifeless eyes. He wasn't the squeamish type- hell, he'd seen enough gruesome things to last two lifetimes – but something about the woman haunted him. Her long black hair, her eyes…

"Edward, do you remember how you got there?" This time it was Dr. Reid asking him.

Ed sighed. Might as well tell them what he knew.

"..I- I woke up there… and no, I don't know how I got there. I don't even know where I am now.."

"You're in the River Heights Police Station," Agent Hotchner replied, but that didn't seem to spark any kind of recognition in his eyes.

"Did you know the woman?" asked agent Jareau.

"What?! NO! I've never seen her before in my life! Hell, YOU saw her before I did, even in the warehouse."

"Her name was Susan Tuls. Does that mean anything to you?"

Ed just shook his head.

"So what are you doing here? Where are you from?"

"I don't know, damnit! I don't know what I'm doing here! I woke up and there I was in that creepy place, and now I'm here!" Edward started screaming.

"Where are you from?" she repeated.

That seemed to quiet him down.

"I- I don't know if you've heard of it? I'm from a small village called Resembool." He decided Amestris was a name he wasn't willing to take. These people might not be as neutral as they portrayed themselves to be.

"That's- that's not in the U.S." stated Dr. Reid.

"What, you know every village in the country?" Ed said, smirking, but his smile vanished when he noticed the look the others gave him. "No! Really?"

"Our own resident genius," supplied agent Jareau.

Edward's eyes seemed to sparkle at that, but all he said was, "Huh…so guess I'm in the wrong country then.."

"You can't be all alone in a foreign country like this. So where are your parents?" Hotchner asked.

Edward froze again, his body language betraying that this was a sensitive area for him.

"My mother died years ago, and my father left even before that."

"Don't you have any guardians? Who takes care of you?"

"I don't need any! But yes, when I was younger, our neighbours took in me and my- " he stopped, as if he'd said something wrong, before continuing, "but what does that have to do with any of this? If you want to arrest me go ahead. If you want to let me go, then _let me go."_

"But we can't, actually. You're a minor. You're what, thirteen -"

"FIFTEEN!"

"- so we can't let you out by yourself. If you're cleared. Which you still have to be."

On cue, several policemen barged in.

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A/N : Next update coming soon! Please review! ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews! :) And to everyone to favourited/followed the story, I hope you like how its going!  
About this chapter: I've tried to bring you all up to date with the crime our BAU's investigating! :)

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**Chapter 3**

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This had been a rather unusual case for the BAU. First, their Unsub had not even bothered about his anonymity, and left fingerprints and even DNA samples in abundance. Second, the victims seemed totally random, victims of chance, rather than by choice. In fact their connecting link had been, ironically, the Unsub's DNA at the crime scene and on their persons. That and the fact that they all seemed connected to this strange little town in the middle of nowhere.

The first victim had been Vincent Edger. 28 years old, white, single. He worked as a lawyer in the neighbouring city of Hartford, but had been born and brought up in River Heights. He was found dead a week ago, bullet shot through the heart, lying in the park he loved to play in as a child.

The second victim was Rita Holst, 32, white, divorced. She was a writer, and had a son who lived with his father. She lived alone, and had been found dead in her house four days ago by the maid. She had been strangled.

The third victim was Brian Edrip, 45. He was actually a high ranking Police officer, and his death had shaken up the local police force enough to enlist the help of the FBI. Edrip had been set on fire, and then his corpse placed in his own backyard. He had been found two days ago.

And now, the fourth victim, as they had found, was Susan Tuls: a model by profession, 23 years old, living in Hartford. She had been stabbed repeatedly.

And all four had been covered in the Unsub's DNA. Or rather, they all had been placed, postmortem, in a circle made by his own blood, as it matched neither of the victims, and seemed fresh. At first, it had looked to be a ritual of some sort, Black Magic, perhaps? But it was far more precise and controlled than that. As of now, the BAU did not have a very suitable explanation. And that vexed Reid a lot. _And his cooling off period is practically nonexistent! _

To be sure, Reid hadn't expected the Unsub to be there tonight at the warehouse. It was a hunch, based on the fact that the missing victim, Susan, had been there recently for an outdoor shoot. And going by the locations the bodies had been placed, the warehouse seemed to be a safe bet, seeing as Susan's mother had moved to Hartford before she was born, and thus she had no other links in the town.

He hadn't expected _Edward _there.

But none of their profiles hinted at a kid, or an accomplice even, so Reid was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. He didn't seem like a homeless kid, going by his shiny red coat or leather pants, but then again, neither did he seem to be a lost young foreigner. But the way he'd looked in the warehouse initially…Reid couldn't imagine the boy had anything to do with this murder. The others did not seem to be so sure.

So after their initial interview he knew the police would come in with their forensics team.

Reid noticed how the boy abruptly went low, a defensive stance, when the police team entered. _Where did he learn defensive stances?_

"We're here for his fingerprints and DNA samples," the lead officer announced, though they didn't really need to. "Come on, you don't want to make this difficult."

Edward seemed to not understand at all. He stared at the police team, unfazed, and then at each of the BAU agents in turn, as if to help him out.

Reid leapt at the chance.

"They're going to take your fingerprints. The patterns and oils on each person's fingers are unique in the world, so they can be used to identify anyone at all." Ed seemed to nod at that, so Reid continued, "and DNA is the combination of proteins in your body that make you up. Each person has a unique DNA code, half of it inherited from each parent. It is a unique identifier as well, and used in criminal forensics to-"

"That's quite enough Reid, I'm sure he got it," Hotch interrupted him.

Edward seemed to have visibly relaxed, but the corners of his eyes were still tight.

"I'm going to need you to remove your gloves."

Ed stiffened at that, but took off his left glove and gave his fingerprints. His right one proved to be difficult.  
"Why do you need both hands? Isn't it enough you have my DNA sample?"

"Edward, if you don't have anything to hide, I don't see why this is a problem. Just let them take it," JJ pleaded.

"Don't be difficult kid, or you'll get what's coming to you!" The police were on edge after one of their own had been killed, and so far, to them, Edward was the only suspect.

"Oh yeah? And what's that old man?" challenged Edward.

"Officer Donovan, Edward, calm down," Hotch said sternly. "Edward, just let them take your fingerprints properly. You _do_ want to be cleared of the charges, right?

Apparently he did, because he just bowed down his head and sighed. And then pulled off his right glove.

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Ed thought it was almost funny the way their jaws dropped.

"What, never seen automail before?" He'd meant it as a rhetorical question, but their faces looked as if they really hadn't. "You know, prosthetic limbs?"

The guy who was taking his fingerprints recovered first, and took his metallic prints.

Everyone seemed to be coming to, now.

"Alright Edward, we'll see you soon after." The agents turned to leave.

"Wait! I can leave when I'm cleared, right?" Edward asked them, not really wanting to spend more time here than necessary.

"Sure."

Ed doubted it.

It was hours before anyone came back again, and that was only to serve him some food. He ate the _burger and fries_ and drank the _soda _all too fast- he himself hadn't known he was this hungry. _When was the last time I ate?_ He found himself wondering. Once again, he tried to remember how he'd ended up here, but his memory didn't serve up any clues.

After what seemed like an eternity, he saw agent Hotchner come into the room again. He tried to discern something from his face, but his expressions were unreadable.

"Edward. It seems your fingerprints and DNA doesn't match that of the Unsub. So you are not officially a suspect for now-"

"Great! So when can I leave this little-"

"- but you were still found at the crime scene, and don't have an explanation for it, so for the moment we'd like you to stay under our supervision."

"WHAT?! I can't stay holed up in this room for who-know-how-long! I have to-" Ed cut short, not really knowing exactly _what _he had to do.

"I didn't say you had to. Seeing as we were unable to locate your guardians –"

"I don't have any!"

"- you must come to the hotel we're staying in. You'll stay with two of our agents until otherwise arranged." There was a note of finality there that troubled Ed. He knew he wasn't winning this one.

So he shrugged.

"Fine."

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Spencer Reid took his newly cleared room-mate to the room he and Morgan were sharing. Being this small a town, they only had so many rooms in their _only_ hotel. So Hotch and Rossi shared one, the ladies another, and Morgan and Reid got this one. They must have drawn the short straw because now they had another person there as well. _At least they've put in an extra bed in there, _Reid thought. He really didn't want the couch.

Reid looked at the boy as he appraised the room. He looked young (fifteen, he'd told them) but his eyes spoke otherwise. He'd been shocked to see his prosthetic arm – and even more at the ease with which he moved them – Reid had no idea the prosthetics field had advanced so much. He doubted it. _And we still don't know what he did with that weapon in the alley. _

"So, how'd you like it?" Morgan asked the boy.

"I thought they put you up in better rooms?" he smirked, but it was a good-natured ribbing.

"Nah, we like to rough it out," Morgan replied with ease.

It was surprisingly easy to converse with him when they weren't facing off with him, and the boy did seem genuine.

"Dibs on that one!" Reid called out, pointing to the bed beside the window. It wasn't so much chance as a known fact that the boy shouldn't be next to windows or doors.

Ed got the smaller bed, and his face was one to behold after Morgan pointed out the reason.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL YOU NEED A MICROSCOPE TO SEE THEM?"

Apparently, he was touchy about his height.

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**A/N : **There. No cliffie this time ;) Please review! ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N** : Thanks again to everyone for coming back to this! :)

And btw, how exciting is it that the new Criminal Minds episode this week is named "Alchemy" ?! *fangirls* Although, expecting FMA there is a tad too much :3

Anyway, things get a bit exciting from here!

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**Chapter 4**

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Morning found them all back in the police station, even a whining Edward, who had been dragged here by Reid and Morgan.

"At least tell me what you're working on. It's pretty boring sitting by with nothing to do. And also really _confusing_, to hear everyone talk about something but not being able to understand most of it," Ed told them, frankly getting quite pissed off.

It was agent Jaraeu who replied, "Alright Edward –"

"Its Ed, actually," he interrupted. "You can call me Ed, agent Jaraeu."

"Okay Ed, call me JJ, then," she smiled.

Ed then listened as he was told of the four murders that had recently happened here.

And his golden eyes went very wide.

"What were the names again?" he asked them, his voice betraying a little fear.

"Vincent Edger, Rita Holst, Brian Edrip and Susan Tuls. Why? Do you know something about any of them?" asked Reid.

He shook his head but his eyes remained wide.

"Can you write that out? And can I see their pictures?" Ed requested.

"Ed, if you know something, now is the time to tell us," Morgan told him, handing him the photographs with their names.

"I - Its just –" he pointed at the documents in his hands, "Look - Edger, Holst, Edrip and Tuls. Their names spell it out. _Greed, Sloth, Pride and Lust."_

"Oh! He's right!" exclaimed Reid, wondering how he could have missed it. When the others looked at him questioningly, he told them, "It's the Seven Deadly Sins from mythology. Greed, sloth, pride and lust, and the other three are envy, wrath and gluttony. Maybe the Unsub somehow connects these people to the sins they represent."

"Their last names being anagrams of their 'sin' doesn't help," supplied Prentiss.

"So what, the Unsub is the religious type? Or a savior from evil?" asked Rossi, incredulously.

"And where does their physical persona fit into this? Are they supposed to represent the manifestation of their 'sin'?" wondered JJ. "Edger works in a law firm in Hartford, so he's 'Greed'? Or Susan is a model so she's 'Lust'?"

"Its actually- " Ed began, but was interrupted by Officer Donovan barging in.

"Another person reported missing. Tom Nevy, seventeen years old, didn't reach school this morning."

"_Envy,"_ murmured Ed.

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"Keep lookouts on Tom's school, home and any particular place he liked to hang out. Going by the time frame between the disappearance, death and finding of bodies of the earlier victims, it's likely the Unsub will complete his ritual by tonight," Hotch addressed the police.

There was a general tension in the air. A kid, disappearing on his way to school, did not help the growing unease within the police department. Many of the policemen had kids in the same school. And as if looking out for each other wasn't stressful enough, they now started worrying for their families too. No one was safe.

They weren't privy to the same information as the BAU, for now.

"Morgan, call up Garcia and ask her to find anyone with their names spelling out the other two 'sins'. They might be possible victims. We'll be putting protective details on them," Hotch told the gathered BAU.

"In the meanwhile, there's something we're missing," said Rossi. "Why the ritual? Is he punishing them?"

"Or he could be cleansing their sins?" asked Reid. "If he thinks he's fulfilling god's mission and he has been sent as a vessel."

No one noticed Ed's eyes go ever so dark at that. _Here to fulfil god's mission… to rid this world of their sins…_

"What if they _are_ the sins?" Prentiss broke Ed out of his reverie. "What if who these people are, what they did, made him objectify them to the point where they're no longer human to him?"

_No longer human_… there was something very wrong with that thought, but Ed couldn't place it right now…

"Alright, we can finish this later. We need to be there at the possible dump sites right now. Its our only chance to catch this guy," Hotch reminded them.

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Ed looked on at the quiet building in front. He had never seen a schoolhouse so silent. It was starting to get dark now, the faint traces of the sunlight now decidedly gone.

After much persuasion on his part, he had been allowed to go with agents Hotchner, Reid and Morgan in their car, which was to go to Tom's school. The others went to his house to wait there. Police force was deployed on all the familiar routes he took. But Ed was strictly supposed to remain in the car, at all times.

He gazed out the window, mind reeling with the facts of this case. _Someone_ was killing off what they believed to be were – _homunculi_. Ed knew it couldn't just be the_ Seven Deadly Sins _or whatever the thing the BAU believed it to be. He couldn't shake the feeling that his being here was linked to this. Why else would he wake up in that warehouse, of all places?

And so it was, lost in his thoughts, that Ed completely missed it when the commotion started.

The FBI agents ran in through the front, and the police went in from behind, fully intending to trap this guy in. _Well, I'm not gonna be sitting in the damn car while this shit goes down!_

He quietly slipped into the school building through the side, creating an entrance for himself with just a small clap. He then sealed it back. Surveying his surroundings carefully, he could tell he was alone in this corridor. So he let his keen senses guide him towards the source of the noise. For he could hear _something_ going on in the building.

He reached the end of the corridor and went up a flight of stairs. There were rooms on both sides, and he tried to be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible as he tried to get a glimpse of each room.

And it was the very last room on the right that made him stop dead in his tracks.

"You!"

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**A/N : **Sorry for the cliffie but any guesses? ;) It'll be revealed very soon in the next update! :) Please review! ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N :****_ Important Note: In FMA-verse, this story sticks to the first anime ONLY._**

_(Kinda important from this chapter.)_

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**Chapter 5**

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Spencer Reid prepared himself for the worst when they heard the sounds coming from the room. There was definitely someone there, and this time, he was sure it was the Unsub.

Hotch looked at them meaningfully. They bust in the room, all three of them:

"Freeze! FBI!"

It was unmistakably the Unsub, his figure looming over another on thrashing against the ground. _Although I would've imagined him larger._ Morgan turned on the light beside him. And Reid took in a sharp breath as he took in the form of their Unsub.

This can't be him! Or her... for it looked like a woman – a girl – and quite a small one at that. _The profile was so completely wrong! A juvenile?_

"Do not move!" repeated Hotch.

It happened in an instant, but Reid knew something was wrong when the _child _gave them the barest of smiles. She brought her hands forwards, as if to surrender, but at the last moment clapped them together. Before Hotch could even process what was going on, Reid had tackled him to the ground, narrowly missing the spikes that just flew out towards them.

They turned to look on her again and her smile had turned to something ugly and mocking. She clapped her hands again, and the whole floor just rose up in a tidal wave and engulfed them.

"WHAT THE - !" shouted Morgan, before he was thrown against the wall and pinned there, seemingly by the wall itself. Hotch and Reid were held by the ground – the freaking ground – restraining their hands and feet.

"HOW THE HELL IS SHE DOING THAT!"

And indeed, for the first time in his life, Dr. Spencer Reid had no possible explanation.

"Not- possible- " he said, trying to catch the wind knocked out of him.

"You shouldn't have interrupted me," the girl said, almost in a sing-song voice.

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT? " demanded Morgan, struggling against his bonds.

"Well, do you really want to know? I suggest you pay attention to this part then," she replied, clapping her hands again, and drawing out a huge iron rod, shaped as a spike. For a moment Reid thought she was about to kill them, but then she went toward the – still alive – Tom Nevy, still writhing on the ground.

"Why are you doing this?" Hotch spoke up.

"You see, its Equivalent Exchange. Their life, for mine."

And she raised the rod high above his chest.

But before she could bring it down, a loud voice echoed through the room.

"YOU!"

And Reid turned to see a fuming Edward standing in the doorway.

"Well! Look who's decided crash the party," said the girl almost sweetly, but her voice turned venomous as she added, "you never could keep your nose out of other people's business, could you?"

"What are you doing here?" Ed demanded. His eyes flicked down. "AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO THE KID?"

Odd, thought Reid, that he refer to someone older than himself as a kid.

"Don't you remember? This is _exactly_ what he did to you, didn't he? Or have you forgotten the last time we met, dear mister Fullmetal Alchemist?" she spat out the name with distaste.

"Let him go," said Edward quietly, and there was an edge there that Reid had never heard before.

"Or what?" she advanced towards him.

Edward narrowed his eyes, and brought his hands together.

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Edward dodged the first few attacks easily enough, and then began his own offense. _Lyra_ was agile and powerful, but she had never faced him in open combat before, and he sure as hell would make her regret ever being in one.

He blocked off the current wave of spikes with a shield made from the floor, and slipped out from the side as she prepared for a direct assault from him.

With a few choice movements, he had her pinned down, his blade at her throat. _She can't be this easy to beat! _

"I see you haven't lost your touch," she said, glaring at him.

Before anyone could blink, she jumped out from his grasp, his blade slicing through the shoulder as she did. All it showed was her rotted skin.

She clutched herself as if in pain.

"There's no Philosopher's Stone in this world! What do you want?" Ed demanded.

"Ah, and that is exactly why I must go back to ours," she replied, looking towards the open window.

_She means to run!_

"Give it up! You're in no state to win against me without the Stone.. Without _them_.. You're too weak!" challenged Ed.

"And so are you," she replied, her voice almost gleeful, as she clapped her hands to the ground.

And nothing happened. For a moment Ed couldn't figure out what she meant, but then he saw the FBI agents about to be crushed under the weight of the debris of the walls and ground that had held them, and were currently caving in on them.

Ed turned around and clapped his hands together, bringing them to the ground. He could hear the fading sound of her laughter as she jumped outside.

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_Who –WHAT– was this boy?!_

Spencer Reid had never seen or heard such a thing. Hell, he'd never even read of such a thing, and he read a LOT. The scientist in him even labelled it as impossible. But there he was, right before his very eyes, raising up the ground or melting the walls with just his claps, or carving out spears from the floor as if it was commonplace. Natural. But that boy defied natural as easily as Reid read 1000-page books in hours. His "automail" was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. He said he didn't belong to this country. And just _what _was happening right now?

Because what he could see, was that two teenagers were locked in the fiercest combat he'd ever seen. Not to mention the most _unusual_ one. But this wasn't a normal fight. No, these kids were aiming to kill each other, and Reid could tell it by their eyes.

He could see when Ed started gaining the upper hand. He could see when the girl started eyeing the nearest escape route.

And then suddenly everything collapsed. The ground started caving in and around Hotch and him, and began crushing them. He could only imagine Morgan was facing the same situation. He couldn't breathe. But he could see a slight opening to his side where the formation wasn't as strong, and now as it started to move, it probably would have become loose. He reached an arm through and sure enough, it broke to the surface. If only I could hold on to Hotch now –

A flash of light and he could breathe again. He realized he was on the floor, covered with debris. There was Hotch to his left, and Morgan as well, not too far off. The ground was back to normal, apparently, although the classroom still looked as if a hurricane went through it.

"You okay?" Hotch asked him or Morgan, or maybe both of them.

"Yeah, where's – " he stopped short when he got his answer. Edward was right in front of them, a few feet away, sitting next to the victim.

_The victim!_

He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about him (although to be fair, he _had _witnessed something quite extraordinary) but as the three of them stood up, Edward turned around again and looked up.

"He's alive. Unconscious, and probably has some serious injuries, but nothing life-threatening," Edward told them, eyes glinting.

"What the HELL was that?!" demanded Morgan.

"The least you could do is say THANK YOU for saving your hides!" Edward replied at the same volume.

"Morgan, Edward, stop shouting," intervened Hotch, and frankly, Reid was relieved at that. "Morgan, he did save us today, as well as Tom, and we should be grateful to him. So I'm inclined to believe you Edward, but you have to tell us what all this-" he waved his hand in a sweeping gesture, "-was. You knew this Unsub, didn't you?"

Edward smirked. "_That's_ what you want to know? I'd have thought you'd ask about the alchemy."

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**A/N : **I hope I didn't disappoint anyone too badly! ._. I almost changed it but then Scar would've been too cliched. The girl here was Dante/Lyra from the first anime. I kinda find her cool.  
Positives? Negatives? ConCrit? Please review! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N :** This is a lengthy chapter, and the last one too! Lots of scenes, explanations, I hope you like it! :D

Thank you to everyone who reviewed/ favourited/ followed/ read the story!

Oh and because I forgot to state it previously: Criminal Minds and Fullmetal Alchemist - both very awesome shows - sadly do not belong to me. Never have, never will.

On with the story! :D

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**Chapter 6**

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Ed really didn't want to have this conversation here. So he was actually relieved when the police came in.

"Perfect timing," he said aloud, fully meaning it, although everyone took it as a sarcastic comment from him.

Oh well, they did arrive REALLY late at the scene.

So they went back, dropped off Envy – Tom, he reminded himself – at the hospital (with a number of security guards as well- not that they'd be any good if they were attacked) and finally met the other members of their team at the police station conference room.

"Guys, what happened?" JJ asked as soon as they came in, bruises on every one of them, including Edward. "I mean, we know what happened, but what _really_ happened?"

So he sat down while agents Hotchner, Reid and Morgan filled the others in on what they saw at the school. For their part, the others started staring at Edward – discreetly, of course – to the point that he started to get uncomfortable.

"So…?" Reid began, looking at him expectantly when they stopped their tale.

No avoiding it now.

Ed took a deep breath and began.

"Alchemy is the science of understanding, deconstruction and reconstruction. What I did there, that was just me manipulating the objects around me- breaking it down to its components, and then reshaping it into something else. Yes?" he looked over Reid as everyone practically overflowed with questions.

"You speak of 'alchemy' as a science. But isn't it a dead art? Turning lead to gold? And it's supposed to take years to perform alchemy, theoretically, and even that is done by complex arrays, from what I've read," Reid said.

"Maybe it's a dead art here, but where I'm from, it's actually pretty common. Of course, turning lead to gold is against the law, and as for your other question, the speed depends upon the alchemist and the transmutation. And I don't have to use arrays or transmutation circles. It's one of the reasons I'm a –" he stopped short, wondering if he'd gone too far. Surely he didn't need to tell these people _everything_.

"You're a-?" asked JJ.

"I'm a State Alchemist. It just means I passed this very prestigious exam and I… work for the government. Just- just research. On alchemy. They let me do anything I want because I'm actually the youngest State Alchemist ever-" he really needed to think faster – all he was doing was giving up more information about himself , "- as I passed the exam when I was twelve. Oh and each State Alchemist has a special name."

"Fullmetal," said Morgan.

"Uh- yes. I didn't think you'd remember that. The Fullmetal Alchemist. That's my name in the – government. "

" 'Fullmetal' ?" asked Prentiss. "Were they referring to your – "

"My automail, yeah. They have a strange sense of humour apparently," Edward pulled a face.

"So you had this 'automail' when you gave the exam? If I may ask, what happened?" she asked.

"It was an accident. An alchemic reaction went wrong, and I lost my right arm.." he paused.. "and my left leg," he finished.

Someone gasped around him but he didn't look up.

.

Reid's head was swimming with the fact that there actually existed something that was basically a lore. _Alchemy is real?!_

"My neighbours, they make the best automail in the country, so I asked them to make me these," he showed his arm around – and quite proudly too.

His neighbours… the same neighbours that took him in! Was this when they took him in? Was he all alone by then? His parents gone? Before he was even twelve? Reid felt a stab of pity for the young boy.

"Hey Edward? Can you... can you show us some 'alchemy' then?" asked Garcia from the laptop.

Ed smiled._ He's been asked that way too often, _Reid realised. Ed brought his hands together and clapped them to a chair. There was a flash of light and the chair was shorter by an inch, and in his hand Ed held a small wooden rose, carved with such precision that Reid really had to wonder about his skill. _He really is a prodigy. _That's what his stories seemed to imply, didn't they?

Among all the flutter and the ooh-ing and aah-ing, Rossi brought them back to the point, "So Edward, how do you know the Unsub?"

Everyone was back into business-mode.

"Yeah, we never imagined the Unsub to be a young girl."

" 'Young girl'?" Ed scoffed. "Her name is Lyra. And she's not what she seems to be. I know you won't believe me but she's actually quite – mature.." Ed tried to put this forward as simply as possible. "She's.. well… it may seem far-fetched, but her body has been taken up by another person. Dante is hundreds of years old.. and so.. your profile wasn't all that wrong.. right? "he finished lamely.

"Has it something to do with the Philosophers' Stone? You mentioned it there, when you basically implied that you weren't from our world," inquired Morgan.

"You guys really do listen remarkably well, don't you?" said Ed, rather ruefully. "I guess I believe that. Since being here, I've come to realize that I recognize none of the countries here, the technology is completely alien to me, and if I were to say "Amestris", you wouldn't realize what it is, would you?" He took their blank faces as a signal to continue, "That was the name of the country I'm from. But you haven't the faintest idea about it. Not to mention, no one here does alchemy. Now, I don't even know how _I_ can. But I believe I'm on the other side of the Gate. This is a different world from my own, where there's no Philosophers' Stone."

"The Philosophers' Stone? You mean like Harry Potter?" asked Prentiss, smiling.

"Essentially, yes. The Philosophers' Stone is a legendary stone, occurring in many old tales. It supposedly brings many things to its possessor, but most versions state that it gives them lead from gold, as well as immortality," stated Reid, looking at Ed for verification.

"You're right, it does give immortality. Which is why Dante created one- with some help. But it demands a horrible price for it, something that no one should ever give- " he stopped short, looking down, and his fists curled on his side. Memories of that horrible day came back to him, when after days of working over Doctor Marcoh's notes they'd finally uncovered this terrible secret.

The others didn't miss his sudden stiffening.

"Ed what- what is the price?" asked JJ, mainly to make him start talking again, but almost too scared to ask.

Ed put it bluntly. "Human souls. Sacrifices. Lots and lots of it. They killed thousands to make it. And when she was running out of its power, she decided to have one made again… But now she's here, which means she probably got killed there…" he was talking more to himself now.

Trying to hide his horror at the disturbing information he'd just got, Hotch asked him, "So, you think she's trying to create one here? A Philosophers' Stone?"

Ed looked up out of his reverie. "No, I don't think that's it." That seemed to relieve the FBI agents a little, at least a mass genocide was not being planned.

"She was killing the Homunculi – or at least who she believed to be Homunculi- "

"Sorry to interrupt, but what's a 'Homunculi' supposed to mean?" asked JJ.

" 'Homunculi' are created humans. They are the result of human transmutations gone wrong. Dante has used these seven Homunculi to do her bidding before. Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Pride, Greed, Wrath.. and Sloth.." Ed tried and failed to not falter at the last one. Thankfully for him, no one seemed to raise it up just now.

"So she used them, and now she's killing their- counterparts? What's made her go against them?" pondered Rossi.

"Is it revenge? Did anyone of them betray her?" Prentiss asked Ed.

"Maybe she believes they still serve her. She said something to the effect of 'Equivalent Exchange - their life for mine' . So maybe she believes they are supposed to die for her," guessed Morgan.

"Why all of them for her, though? Does she think she's superior to them, that _seven_ people need be sacrificed for just _one_ of her?" JJ said.

"If she still sees them as Homunculi, it's possible she values herself above them all," said Hotch.

"I think it's a little bit of everything," said Ed quietly.

Everyone turned to look at him again. He really was getting tired of this.

"I don't know for sure, but I think she's dead. No, she's definitely dead. It's the only way to land up in this world- to die in ours. Yes-" he added, knowing the question would be coming, "I died too. Killed by Envy, incidentally. Anyway, so when I left, maybe someone betrayed her, maybe one of the Homunculi. Got her killed. She was dying anyway, with her Stone almost finished. So, she came here, and now she wants to go back. So why does she start killing her Homunculi? Random? No. She has a plan. A way to go back. A deal with the Gatekeeper? A powerful alchemic array? Probably both. I have to find out what her plan is. And then…"

"And then..?"

Ed looked up. "Stop her."

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Reid went inside the small room where Ed was sitting. Researching. Looking for anything that might help them figure out what Dante's plan was.

"Need any help with that?" Reid asked the boy, seeing him struggle with the laptop.

"Yeah, how do you make this damn thing work?!" Ed burst out, looking quite worn out, and _very_ irritated.

_Of course he didn't ask for help_, Reid thought. _He's too proud for that._ Now, though, it seemed Ed was at the end of his fuse.

"What are you looking for?" Reid asked him, taking a seat beside him.

"Just any books or research published on alchemy here. Well, and then sort out the real from the fake. But I can't work out this… demonic machine," Ed rued.

"You know what we could do? Let's ask Garcia to work her magic," Reid whispered conspirationally.

An hour later, they were working through piles of published material on alchemic science, dating back to the previous century. _Who even made E-book versions of these?_ Reid wondered. Ed was selecting and rejecting books just a few seconds into each title, and Reid really felt he wasn't as useful as he wanted to be, even with his crazy 2000 words-a-minute reading speed. Till now though, they had only picked out five books which showed promise for further study. Something about most of them being "full of crap", as Ed put it.

"Okay, now we have these books from the fifties. They're not in downloadable form, so we'll just have to decide if they're worth our time from their titles and synopsis. Any particular ones stand out?" Reid asked, and then read aloud their titles, "_A Study on the Nature of Matter_, by Prof. G. Fitzgerald, _Alchemy and its Uses_, by M. , _The Basics of Alchemy- the Arcane Art,_ by Dr. Howard L. Fogg, _Mysteries of our World- Alchemy_, by Maya Saunders, _Discovering Alchimie, _by Prof. Jorge M. Hasselhorf,_ The Science of Alchemy_, by Prof. V. Hohenhiem, _Understanding the Secrets_- what? " Reid asked, looking up as he sensed Edward suddenly stop moving.

"The last author- was it- Van Hohenhiem?" Ed asked, his voice quivering.

"Yes- Edward, what is it?" Reid asked, worried now.

"Then that's the book we need," declared Edward.

"Are you sure? You haven't even read it yet. I'll order it if you want, but- how can you be certain of its authenticity, that it's not just another of those 'hocus-pocus' books, as you yourself put it?"

"I'm certain because… because I know - knew - the author."

"Knew him? Ed, are you sure? He lived more than –"

"I'm sure. He was my father."

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It turned out that the one book Edward needed wasn't easily available. But Rossi was able to pull some strings and within 24 hours they had the book in question.

The BAU agents had been surprised, to say the least, when they learned of Edward's supposed 'father'. But they added it to the pile of weird that was going on here. Their Unsub- this Dante woman- hadn't been seen since that day in the school, but they knew it was only a matter of time before she showed up again. It was probably her injuries – and Edward, the Fullmetal Alchemist- that was holding her off for now.

Edward had been holed up in the little room for the whole day now, studying the book. Apparently, it was written in code. Unsurprisingly, Dr. Reid was there along with him, helping him figure it out. The agents had no doubt they would succeed, but time was of the essence.

Because apart from the looming threat of another attack by the Unsub, it was the police and public that was getting antsy. They knew they couldn't leak out the details of this case to anyone. They generally never did, but this case in particular had to be kept extra secretive. Hell, they weren't even sure what they were going to report back home. But as of now, they hadn't told anyone of the identity of the Unsub, only her general description to warn the public, and they'd especially refrained from disclosing Edward's involvement. Which meant he got strange and even suspicious glances whenever he moved around the police station to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water. He never complained though, and the agents could see that he'd experienced this before.

There were so many things they still didn't know about the boy. His fighting skills, for example. And there was a very important part of his life he wasn't telling them, they could make that out. They just hoped it wasn't relevant to the case or the Unsub.

"That was Strauss," announced Hotch, walking into the conference room of the police station, where his agents were gathered. "She wants to know why this case is taking us so long. There's other cases piling up."

It was a grim situation, but if orders came from above, they knew they'd have to leave this one unsolved. And there was the matter of what will go in the report if they _did_ solve this.

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It was the middle of the night when Reid and Edward finally found something.

"That's insane!" Ed exclaimed. "Its as if he knew- "

"Knew what, Ed?" asked Reid, running a hand through his dishevelled hair.

"As if he knew we'd land up here. _I'd_ land up here. That I'd die. He's left this message for me to find, a way to get back. This array here," he pointed to the circle he'd made, folding and arranging the designs on various pages of the book into a perfect array, "it's incredibly powerful. I can feel it, though I've never seen anything like it before. Hohenhiem probably worked it out here- " he stopped as a thought suddenly hit him.

"And what of the victims? Does it require any sacrifices?" Reid asked, as the thought of another bloody aspect of alchemy came into his mind.

"No, it doesn't say so," Ed replied, flipping through the decoded message he'd written out.

"Then why did she kill all those people here?"

"I- I don't know," confessed Ed.

"So how does this help us again?" Reid wondered.

"It does, because it means we can send her back."

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They were prepared this time.

As Edward had predicted, she came after Tom Nevy again, who was still recuperating in the hospital. The night was quiet and most parts of the only hospital in this small town were empty and unoccupied now. Which is why they heard the crash of the window pane throughout the corridor, and then rushed inside as soon as possible.

There she was, standing about a foot away from the teenager in the bed, a curiously shaped dagger in her hand and blood on her fingers. Her own, no doubt, as she'd used in every ceremony.

Her eyes narrowed as she took in the agents, all with their guns drawn at her, and finally came to rest at Edward.

"Still here, Edward?" she cooed.

"I don't get it, Dante," he replied, coming straight to the point.

"Oh, but you won't dear. After all, you are _his_ son. It's a shame really, what with all this talent. For you really do have a gift, just like dear Hohenhiem of Light. But you'll never be a great alchemist. You just don't have the stomach for it," she taunted him, as she started to move forward.

"Don't move!" called out Hotch from his position, aiming his gun just a little higher, as if to emphasize his point.

"Oh and you have new friends!" she exclaimed to Edward, who just glared at her. "And what about your _old_ friends? Your little tincan of a brother?"

"You shut your mouth about Al!" Ed shouted, and the agents sent a worried glance towards him.

She laughed freely. "See, after Envy here killed you, didn't you leave your poor little brother all alone? Or is he going to be a dog of the military too, eh? Stay among friends?"

"Why did you kill those people?" Ed asked her, getting back to the point, and refusing to be goaded or distracted.

"Because of Equivalent Exchange, Edward. Turns out, there really is no way around it in his world. Such a useless little world this is," she sounded disgusted.

"This world may be flawed, but ours wasn't perfect either. Ours is an imperfect world too. What happened there, what we _allowed _to happen – it was our mistake – our – " he sucked in a sharp breath and closed his eyes.

"Remember something, dear?"she mocked.

"My… mistake… he said… I have to fix my mistake…"

"Who said that Edward?" Even if he hadn't recognised the voice as JJ's, he would've known this wasn't Dante from the tone in which it was asked. Low, worried. For him, he realised. And that made him open his eyes and answer.

"I remember it now. The Gatekeeper. This is why I have my alchemy in this world. I have _something to do_. I always knew it, but just couldn't remember it earlier. I have to fix my mistake."

"Yes, and I'm fixing mine, don't you see? I should've finished those Homunculi when they started getting out of hand. That gluttony! I've been saving him for last," she said, a frenzied look in her eyes. "So that's my secret then. My reason – my mistakes. That's why they had to be destroyed. But let's talk about you, shall we? What is your mistake, Edward, son of Hohenhiem? Was it dear Sloth- oops, I already took care of that for you! Or is it your poor brother in that ridiculous suit of armour? Your limbs? My, my, you have made some pretty grave mistakes for one so young," she spoke, almost reproachfully.

"You know, it is neither of those." He replied quietly, and before she could blink, he had clapped his hands and put them on the floor.

And the whole room changed. The white paint of the hospital room dissolved into powder and as it settled down, the shape of a giant transmutation circle came into view. It started on the roof, made its way down the walls, and was spread out on the entire floor.

"WHAT IS THIS?" she cried, and clapped her own hands.

And nothing happened.

"You're right," said Edward, "I _am_ his son. And so, I was able to decipher his work, and find the hidden meaning you weren't, even though you probably decoded it too. This circle here," he pointed to the roof directly above her, "will bind your alchemy. Not for long, but I don't need much time anyway."

At her shocked expression, he continued, "You say this world is flawed for its limitations. Well, this is the only reason I'm able to bind your alchemy. Equivalent Exchange. If that's what you were looking for, you didn't need to kill all those people. You only needed yourself. And as for me, I don't need…Sloth, or Al, or anyone else. For my mistake, was_ letting you get away_. For letting _you_ create a Philosopher's Stone _on my brother_! For letting you _kill_ all these people here. For not stopping _you _when I should have. And so I have to fix my mistake. I have to take you back."

She smirked then. "Back to Amestris? Well, you're welcome to. I've been trying to do that all along."

"No, not there. I only have to take you back to the Gate."

Edward clapped his hands to the floor a second time then, and the room was filled with a reddish glow, interspersed with blue light. Dante's face showed fear, but Edward's face showed only resolve.

He turned back to look at the people standing behind him one last time, and then all of a sudden he wanted to explain it to them. They looked at the glowing circles warily, but looked alert as Ed turned towards them. And then he spoke:

"Thank you, all of you. I know there's many things I never got around to telling you but... I hope you will forgive me. You believed me, and helped me, and cared for me when you didn't have to. I can never repay this debt I have and…"

"Edward. Its alright. It was a pleasure and a delight in knowing you, and these last few days were the most extraordinary days of our lives," said Reid, with feeling.

They could see his edges blurring right now. If he'd been wearing glasses, Reid would've taken them off and cleaned them vigorously. As it was, this was happening in plain sight.

"You truly are remarkable, Edward," said Morgan, as the boy showed signs of tears in his eyes. His body was completely translucent by now.

"Hey Ed, don't worry about us. Get back to your little brother, yeah?" said JJ, smiling, as Edward all but vanished.

"Yeah, his name's Alphonse. You'd have liked him."

And with that he was gone.

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_White._

Everything was white.

Edward could distinctly remember every time he'd been here, and he hated every one of them.

But this time, he wasn't alone. No, a few paces to his right was someone sitting down, kneeling. _Dante._

**"Look who's come back!"**

The voice seemed to come from everywhere, and nowhere.

"I must be allowed to go back!" Dante almost shouted from beside him. "I have fixed my mistakes- most of them- and I have given more than equal to the Gate! Send me back to my world!"

It was almost funny, seeing her reduced to nothing but a petulant child in front of the Gate. Almost. For he was here too, and nothing could be funny in this universe of white.

**"You activated the circle? And you completed your task. I must say, your price is enough too, Mister Alchemist." **

"What do you mean? You can't let HIM go! I PAID THE PRICE! I DID THE WORK! I AM THE ONE WHO MUST BE ALLOWED TO GO BACK!" she bellowed, to the voice at random.

And then Edward spoke: "Don't you see, Dante, you have no idea of the price he wanted. You have disbalanced our world long enough with your biggest mistake- the Philosopher's Stone."

"Mistake? That's my biggest achievement! My biggest success!"

"And it is WRONG! Wrong to exist, wrong to be used. It has taken away the concept of Equivalent Exchange in our world. And the Gate wants nothing but balance. A price for everything. Bringing you here was the price for me to come here too. And even though I don't know if I can go back – "

**"You will, Mister Alchemist. Your price is right here."**

And with that Edward was plunged into the darkness again. He could hear the faint screams of the woman and the sounds of thousands of creatures laughing and chattering as he lost himself.

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Edward Elric lay still on the floor. In opening them, he discovered that he had eyes. His whole body, in fact, seemed unharmed. Well except for the automail, which still hung heavy beside him.

But the world wasn't white anymore.

_So I am somewhere._

Profound as that thought was, he still didn't know where he was. Which world he was in. So he decided to find out the only way he could – get up and walk.

There was a problem there though – he was in a box. With a clap of his hands and a flash of light he was out of the box – coffin – and read the nameplate on his own grave:

_Edward Elric  
The Fullmetal Achemist  
b. 1899 – d. 1915  
A son, a brother, a friend.  
May you find happiness where you are._

He did not need to look beside him to know this was where their mother was buried.

Resembool. He was in Resembool.

_He was home._

He did not know how long he stood there, just taking in the air and the feeling of being_ alive_ in his own world. He couldn't remember anything so calming as the cool evening air in Resembool. He should know- he'd spent countless days and nights here, in this very place.

And so it was almost dusk when he heard someone squeak and drop something behind him. Turning around, he almost fell down when something collided into him. Someone, he realised. Someone very small, someone very familiar.

"ALPHONSE!"

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**A/N : **That's all folks! ;) I'm so proud of myself, I actually finished it! And just two days before my finals too!

Thank you for reading and please don't forget to leave a review! ^_^


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